The field of the invention relates to filtration systems and components for filtering water. In particular, the field of the invention relates to filter cartridges and filtering systems that utilize filter cartridges for filtering water in a terrarium.
Aquarium filter systems utilizing filter cartridges are known in the art. (See, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,927,483; 7,771,592; 7,670,484; 7,658,842; 7,651,609; 7,638,044; 7,628,913; 7,618,534; 7,601,259; 7,569,139; 7,553,411; 7,488,417; 7,429,321; 7,425,274; 7,316,775; 7,252,762; 7,241,379; 7,060,181; 6,755,981; 6,585,888; 5,728,293; 5,693,220; 5,401,401; 5,397,463; 5,290,436; 5,203,990; 5,002,660; 4,894,151; 4,761,227; 4,714,547; 4,713,173; 4,601,821; 4,385,989; 4,272,372; and 4,267,042, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties). However, traditional aquarium filters typically are designed for tanks that are filled completely with water. As such traditional aquarium filters are not suitable for filtering water in a terrarium for pet reptiles and amphibians, which is not completely filled with water.
Many commonly kept pet reptiles and amphibians require naturalistic terrariums to satisfy their habitat and care requirements in captivity. For species that are aquatic or semi-aquatic this means an area of water is provided in the terrarium to facilitate natural behaviors. Water filtration units are available that are designed to be submerged in these shallow areas of water inside the terrarium to provide water movement, filtration, and/or aeration. These filtration units are typically small in order to function properly in shallow water, be as unobtrusive as possible in the water area, and also easily hidden by décor in the terrarium to maintain a natural appearance. However, improved filter systems and filter cartridges exhibiting smaller size, ease of use, and modularity are desirable.